This is new ground
for the Guild Toscanini edition. All
have previously concentrated on the
NBC recordings but this one goes further
afield; literally so, to La Scala, Milan,
for the entire programme. This divides
neatly if unevenly into a triptych.
The Boito was a memorial to the composer
who had died thirty years before. It
was a fully staged evening of operatic
scenes, all presided over by Toscanini
who had first met the composer, it seems,
in 1895. Boito recognised the young
Toscanini’s operatic gifts and assiduously
encouraged him. For his part Toscanini
remained affectionate, admiring and
loyal to Boito. He kept vigil by the
composer’s coffin the night before Boito’s
funeral. The second component is the
limited release Verdi – the Preludes
to Acts I and III of La Traviata, made
with the La Scala Orchestra a few years
later in 1951. Toscanini rejected them
for publication but there was a very
limited circulation in Brazil as a promotional
benefit disc. The final part of the
triptych consists of the 1946 Beethoven
First Symphony. This is the earliest
item here and only in so-so sound.

The main point of interest
however centres on Boito. Toscanini
had given the world premiere of Nerone
in 1924 and his post-War visit is charged
with a very real sense of identification.
It’s a shame therefore that we only
have staged Acts, and not the complete
work, as is the case with Mefistofele
where what is extant is the Prologue
and Act III. Perhaps of rather more
pressing concern is the sound quality
which is certainly deficient. There
are the occasional whistling noises
and the sound picture is very compressed.
There are some acetate changes – nothing
at all ruinous but audible and there
is some scuffing on the surviving discs,
though the main concern centres on the
recession of sound.

Toscanini sounds entirely
in his element dramatically and theatrically
despite these limitations. The incision
of the orchestral introduction to Mefistofele
is palpable. He is fortunate in
having Siepi whose range is notable
in Ave Signore, perdona se il mio
gorgo and who sings throughout with
great lyric generosity and considerable
power of characterisation and, not least,
plausibly youthful voice. Herva Nelli
gets a well merited and admiring write-up
in the notes; she demonstrates gravity
and considerable range of tone colour,
despite the relatively primitive recording
set up, especially in Act III’s L’altra
notte. She’s right on the note in
the passage beginning Sorge il di
and possesses great clarity as well,
her tenorial colleague Giacinto Prandelli
having a free delivery.

Nerone has one
or two off-mike moments but we can appreciate
Nessi’s rather hectoring tenor, the
sheer nobility of Guarrera’s baritone
(sample Act III’s Vivete in pace)
and Giulietta Simionato’s surprisingly
moving Rubria. The principals are excellent
here once again though obviously this
is really only a very partial realisation
of a part of the opera. Enough remains
to intrigue however.

The Verdi extracts
are played with diaphanous gentleness
and finally the Beethoven has some aural
blips, a number of which seem to have
been ironed out by the restoration.
The performance doesn’t vary too far
from expected post-War Toscanini norms;
the 1937 BBC recording was warmer.

As usual with this
company documentation is thorough and
attractive. The programme is a specialist
one but will certainly appeal to those
taken by the vibrant Toscanini-Boito
connection.

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